You Cannot Live Without Bacteria!

As you might already know, digestion (and good healthy poops!) is one of my favorite topics. “Probiotics” are all the rage these days but with so many to choose from what’s a crazy sexy gal or dude to do? I’ve found that Dr. Ohirra’s blend gives me perky and productive bowels (that’s why they are in our online shop!). I’ve ask Martie (an expert at Ohirra headquarters) to share the nuts and bolts of bacteria in our bellies and explain why bacteria help keep our digestive track healthy. Whether you choose to explore Ohirra’s or another good brand, this is a must-read blog. Peace and happy poo- Kris

By Martie Whittekin

Really? Yes, bacteria are critical to our health. Of course, I’m not talking about the kind that develop when you leave potato salad out too long, or those on your kitchen sponge. Those can be nasty. However, we routinely have as many as 1,000 times more personal bacterial cells than even our own body cells. There are so many bacteria in our intestinal tracts that they weigh three to four pounds! Good bacteria are so important that if our gut was sterile for long, we would die. Experts believe that an imbalance of bugs precedes most degenerative health conditions..†

What do probiotics do? Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria. They create vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, K, and Biotin); feed the gut lining; help digest food (e.g. reduce lactose intolerance); detoxify dangerous substances; help remove hormone excess; crowd out harmful bacteria and fungi and produce substances to fight them; help maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels; increase the number of immune cells; help cells reproduce normally; and reduce inflammatory response and stimulate cell repair mechanisms. You don’t have to be a doctor to realize how many aspects of health are helped by probiotics. You can imagine that all heck breaks loose if the probiotics become weakened and/or taken over by bad organisms (pathogens).

How do the good guys get weakened? Perhaps the biggest threat to probiotics (which incidentally means “for life”) is antibiotics (which means “against life”). Antibiotics are drugs intended to kill disease-causing bacteria but can kill the good guys as well. Millions of pounds of antibiotics are used in agriculture, leaving residue in meat and dairy products.

Modern life is full of threats to our good bacteria: chlorinated and fluoridated water; diets high in sugar and other simple carbohydrates; and drugs such as hormones, stomach acid blockers, and steroids. Stress and environmental toxins are problems as well.

What can happen then? When the good bacteria no longer have the upper hand and illness-producing bacteria and yeasts thrive instead, the condition is called “dysbiosis.” Symptoms include: allergies, heartburn, skin problems (like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea), bad breath and gum disease, chronic unexplained fatigue, yeast infections, difficulty losing weight, gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, bone thinning, frequent colds and other infections, joint pain/inflammation, insomnia, and extreme menstrual or menopausal symptoms. In fact, virtually any risk factor (e.g. cholesterol), system (e.g. problems of the nervous system, like headaches or depression), organ (e.g. the liver), or disease (e.g. asthma) is worsened by a digestive system that isn’t working correctly due to insufficient friendly bugs.

How can we strengthen them? First, avoid the threats to probiotics listed above. Reduce sugar intake and increase fiber (food for the bugs) in your diet. Take a probiotic supplement to replenish the supply of good guys.

Does brand make a difference? Absolutely. It simply isn’t possible to supplement our hundreds of probiotic strains, especially when you consider that each person’s strains are unique. Therefore, select a product that improves the gut environment and supports all beneficial bacteria. If you have heartburn or signs of dysbiosis, look for a brand that contains the potent TH10 strain, which is an enemy of H. pylori and several strains of bacteria that cause disease.

The actual quantity of bacteria (CFU count) is not nearly as important as using a complete product. A complete system contains:
· Many bacterial strains—delivered live, not as a white powder
· The food supply the bacteria were grown upon
· The substances the bacteria make that help control bad organisms. (This includes various bacteriocins and organic acids that may actually be the most important part of the product.)
· In an IDEAL product:
· The several strains are fermented together, avoiding the territorial competition that is a major downside of combining freeze-dried strains.
· Will contain the proprietary TH10 strain.
· The culture medium will contain NO dairy, soy, or gluten, but rather fruits, vegetables, herbs, and seaweeds.
· If the bacteria are fermented at natural temperatures and packaged properly, the product will not require refrigeration.
· The product is backed by extensive scientific research.

I suggest Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12+, which meet the above criteria. This product also has the advantages of being vegan and packed in convenient-to-carry blister packs.

Martie Whittekin is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and author of Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec and other Acid Blockers. She hosts the nationally-syndicated talk radio show, Healthy by Nature, now in its 13th year and writes a weekly electronic newsletter, Health e-Notes. Martie is a leader in the nutrition industry trade associations, a long time health freedom activist, lecturer and a popular guest on a variety of health-focused TV and radio shows.

† Gazella, Karolyn, Fred Pescatore, et al. Boost Your Health with Bacteria. El Segundo: Active Interest Media Inc, 2009. 7-25. Print.

How To Activate the “Rest and Digest” System

By Giuliana Torre

The key for optimum health is operating from the parasympathetic nervous system as opposed to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The sympathetic nervous system is what activates the flight or fight response. It is triggered by stress, fear, caffeine, and just about anything else that causes the heart rate to increase and keeps us living on an adrenaline rush. For many of us, this is a state that is sustained all day long by information overload, stressful relationships, demanding work schedules, children and anything else that might be draining our energy.

The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), on the other hand, is called the “rest and digest” system. It conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and glandular activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. Essentially, diseases and chronic conditions initiate when the body is operating predominantly from the SNS; healing and regeneration can only occur when the body is operating from the PSNS. Have you ever noticed that when you take off for a vacation, it takes you anywhere from 1 to 3 days to relax? That is your body shifting from the SNS to the PSNS. True rest and relaxation can only occur once this happens, and the body is then able to begin the process of self-healing, which it is absolutely designed to do.

Scientists have known this for quite some time… so, why is it that most of us are always rushing and stressing even though we know it’s not good for our health? Do we need a 10-year clinical study to link chronic stress to every disease known to man? If you are not willing to wait for that, here are some easy steps you can take to keep your body in a state of relaxation.

1. Slow down the breath; it can be as simple as this:

Inhale for 10 counts, hold for 10 counts, exhale for 10 counts. This three point breath will relax the body and mind instantly, and when done consistently, can bring you back to center. Practice for 3 to 11 minutes.

-Inhale Love
-Hold Peace
-Exhale Light

2. Chanting Naam (chanting meditation); just a few minutes a day will change your vibration and therefore your health.

Chanting specific mantra stimulates the meridian points on the roof of the mouth and is like performing accu-pressure on yourself. It is very important to be able to heal yourself; no one else can do it for you.

-3 minutes of Naam purifies the blood;
-11 minutes of Naam purifies the pituitary gland;
-22 minutes of Naam allows protective, projective, and intuitive intelligence:

-Projective: you will see the good in the bad
-Protective: you will see the bad in good
-Intuitive: combines both to find the best course of action

3. Give the body a rest from food; fasting has been known to almost instantly bring the body into a relaxed (“rest and digest”) state.

Fasting has been shown to suppress SNS activity, lower blood pressure, and activate opiates. Furthermore, it corrects unbalanced psycho-physiological systems and restores health by stabilizing the nervous system. The alpha waves are slowed and synchronized and theta waves are increased, leading to a more relaxed and introspective state of awareness, a reduction in neurosis, and less focus on the superficial that normally characterize the waking state. The results are similar to those achieved by chanting meditation or Naam Simran.

4. Harmonyum Healing; the fastest way to cross over to the PSNS.

Based in the science of Kabbalah, the Harmonyum Healing System was created by Joseph Michael Levry (Gurunam) to help facilitate healing on the planet. A Harmonyum session instantly relaxes the nervous systems and brings tremendous amounts of light into the heart. In doing so, it helps us moves through our Body of Pain by allowing us to slow down long enough to realize what our unhealthy patterns are, whether they are in the physical, emotional or spiritual plane.

Giuliana Torre is the founder of The Juicy Naam, an organic juice bar and healing center with locations in Sag Harbor and East Hampton, New York. After a successful career on Wall Street, Giuliana traded in the stressful life and founded the juice bar, now a premier place on Long Island’s East End to experience the most healing juices, superfoods, yoga and bodywork. The Juicy Naam Cleanse incorporates the principles of Universal Kabbalah and is customized to each client.

The Scoop on Omega-3

Recently I saw a generic brand of knock-off Oreo cookies. Not surprisingly, the first ingredient was refined sugar and the second was bleached, white flour. Across the front of the box, larger than the name of the cookies, it said: omega-3. That was the most prominent text! And while omega-3 is vastly important (essential even), the way its suggested usage is being promoted has become somewhat misguided. As with many healthy foods or nutrients grabbed by the mainstream, omega-3 consumption is slightly misunderstood.

An upswing in awareness of omega-3 began to develop soon after a World Health Organization (WHO) report was released. The report suggested that the average North American eats a diet with a vastly out-of-balance ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, which was linked to serious health problems. Consumers of the Standard American Diet (SAD) commonly ingest 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3. This was of great concern since the WHO determined in their extensive study that the ideal ratio for optimal health is 4:1, provided both sources of omega-6 and omega-3 are of high quality and in their natural, unrefined form.

Those eating a SAD were consuming five times more omega-6 than the ideal. A significantly out-of-balance ratio such as this was being blamed for a broad spectrum of ailments. Inflammation contributing to joint pain was one of the chief concerns, but the list was long and varied. Difficulty sleeping, general mental and physical fatigue, sugar cravings, the inability to burn body fat effectively, dry skin and even poor memory were all suspected of being a result of this off-kilter ratio. Serious implications indeed.

As a consumer-minded society we immediately concluded that these findings meant we should get more omega-3 in our diet to compensate for the lopsided ratio. Was this a bad approach? Not particularly, but it certainly wasn’t the most logical. Seemingly overnight omega-3 became a buzzword and everyone wanted to increase their omega-3 intake. Of course the next question was, “can I buy omega-3 supplements?” The answer very quickly became yes. This was a good thing, but it was far from optimal.

Another finding that emerged from the same WHO study was not as celebrated. The report also suggested that the problem was not merely created by too much omega-6 but rather by its sources. In addition to a distorted ratio, denatured, refined and highly processed forms of fat containing omega-6 were found to be part of the problem. Essentially eating too many high-temperature fried foods, denatured oils and manufactured fats (commonly used in cheaper baked goods to increase shelf life) was being blamed.

Taking into account the WHO’s findings on the ideal ratio, those of us who eat a diet that does not regularly contain large amounts of high-temperature fried foods, hydrogenated fats (such as those found in some margarines) or trans fats have no reason to use supplements with a greater ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. It’s just not necessary. If, however, a large part of your diet consists of denatured fats, fried foods and manufactured oils…stop eating them! Don’t just supplement your diet with omega-3 and think that you’ve solved the problem by balancing your ratio. It’s false hope and nothing more than a bandage that will offer a mild reprieve of symptoms at best. The cause will remain, and the problem will continue to worsen until it is addressed.

There are many highly corrective oil formulas on the market that offer 1:2 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Because of the reasons I’ve stated, I believe the best approach is to eat a healthy, balanced diet of whole foods as opposed to taking a highly corrective formula. A healthy diet includes balanced cold-pressed oils that yield a ratio between 4:1 and 2:1. I often make a salad dressing that combines cold-pressed, organic hemp seed oil (70%), flax seed oil (20%) and pumpkin seed oil (10%). Straight hemp oil is another good choice.

The WHO report concludes the best way to bring the ratio back to a healthy balance is to simply cut back on all processed, denatured and manufactured fats with a goal of complete elimination. Cold-pressed forms of omega-6 are perfectly healthy and essential to optimal health. As long as their quantity does not surpass four parts for every one part of omega-3, optimal health will be obtainable.

Airport Radiation and Your Health

A new threat, using another level of security scare, is being used to expose the flying population to either excessive ionizing radiation or ultra high frequency radiation. Thanks to the attempted airliner bombing on Christmas 2009, TSA Security Laboratory Director Susan Hallowell recently announced the agency’s intent to use back-scatter X-ray machines for passenger surveillance.

Obviously we need to refine our screening techniques to provide maximum safety for our air travel. However, these X-ray machines penetrate a few centimeters into the skin and reflect back a naked body image. While some will view this as a privacy violation, this is not the immediate problem. Thomas Wiggins, a radiation company engineer, admits that before 9/11, proposing such a system would be like ordering his own death sentence. He has changed his mind and now states that they could “scan a pregnant woman 200 times without a health risk.” This is a scientifically fallacious statement.

Those implementing this near-sighted agenda have deliberately ignored the outstanding research of Dr. John Gofman (Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley) showing that THERE IS NO SAFE DOSE OF IONIZED RADIATION. This statement is based on years of serious unbiased research. Ionizing radiation in the X-ray spectrum damages and mutates both chromosomal DNA and structural proteins in human cells. If this damage is not repaired, it can lead to cancer. X-rays also damage the interior walls of the arteries. These cells are then unable to process lipoproteins correctly, resulting in atherosclerotic plaques and mini tumors in the arteries, stimulating atherosclerosis and heart disease. Dr. Gofman’s studies indicate that radiation from medical diagnostics and treatment is a causal co-factor in 50% of America’s cancers and 60% of our ischemic (blood flow blockage) heart disease. He stresses that the frequency with which Americans are medically X-rayed “makes for a significant radiological impact.” The more people are exposed to these higher doses of radiation, the greater their risk of real, life-threatening cancer and heart disease.

A report in the British medical journal Lancet noted that after breast mammograms were introduced in 1983, the incidence of ductal carcinoma (12% of breast cancer) increased by 328%, of which 200% was due to the use of mammography itself. A Lawrence Berkeley National Lab study has demonstrated that breast tissue is extremely susceptible to radiation-induced cancer, confirming warnings by numerous experts that mammograms can initiate the very cancers they may later identify. Dr. Gofman believes that medical radiation is a co-factor in 75% of breast cancer cases. With this information, it would not be very intelligent to expose your breasts to radiation from X-ray machines at airports. This is an explicit danger to American women. (Infrared mammography is a far safer diagnostic tool.)

Yes, we should improve security, but these procedures must not introduce a scientifically proven, life-threatening hazard to our health. America’s cancer rates are already rising in every category. Airline pilots and cabin crews suffer more skin and breast cancer due to higher levels of radiation while flying. Dr. Abram Petkau has uncovered significant statistical research showing that a pregnant woman flying in an airplane in her first trimester exposes her baby to enough radiation to increase its risk of leukemia sixteen times.

The other source of surveillance being considered is ultra high frequency radio waves. There are scanners available that produce a frequency 1000 times higher than is healthfully advisable. Some examples include radar, producing a wide variety of radiations and causing cancer and neurological problems; microwaves, which are also noted to cause cancer; and even ultrasound: Swedish research on the use of ultrasound technologies on fetuses indicate that it may cause subtle brain damage and be associated with delayed development and learning disorders.

The attempted terrorist attacks are cause for concern, but we need to think about appropriate security without creating a screening system lethal to our population. In addition to effectively enforcing those systems already in place, there are many other forms of security screening that could work.

I am urging you to start expressing your concern now. We must strongly protest to convince authorities that this is a dangerous and thoughtless approach, which will increase the risk of cancer, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and brain damage to our population. The risk/benefit analysis does not justify these measures, which are at best foolish and at worst genocidal.

Blessings to your health and spiritual wellbeing.

Gabriel Cousens, M.D.

Treehugger.com Nomination!

On Monday afternoon I received an email from Treehugger.com announcing that Crazysexylife.com has been nominated for the Best of Green 2010 awards in the Best Health & Wellness Website category. What a thrilling way to start my week! This website has grown from a place to share my personal journey and communicate with readers to a hub of top-notch bloggers and resources for those wishing to get healthy and wise. I’m astounded by the hundreds of inspiring and knowledgeable spirits sharing their love and ideas every day. I hope that Crazysexylife.com is a place you visit to nurture yourself and the world, and to find like-minded activists and wellness junkies. Thank you for joining us on this adventure. There are so many exciting things on the way, so stick around!

Want to help infuse more magical mojo into our mother ship? Until Friday, April 2, you can vote every day for Crazysexylife.com if you’d like! Every vote counts and we need as many people as possible to know about our campaign to win Best Health & Wellness Website! We hope you’ll shower places like Twitter and Facebook with this link and encourage people to support Crazysexylife.com: http://www.treehugger.com/best-of-green/food-health/

Let the voting begin!

Peace & Tree-huggery,
Kris